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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — of a king
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — after costs
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — for catching
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com